


Curse of the Snakes

by NikkiTe



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-03 05:18:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15812196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikkiTe/pseuds/NikkiTe
Summary: Some are blessed by the gods, while others are cursed. Ravus finds himself isolated in a cave, for any who dared gaze into his face get turned into stone instantly. He was content in his isolation. However, one day, a young  Ignis Scientia stumbles into his cave. Will he turn him into stone as well? Or will this boy change the life of the solitary Ravus?*An AU based on the lore of Medusa and the gorgons.





	1. Chapter 1

  
  
There were tales that were told in the land of Eos, tales of heroes and gods, demigods and monsters. There were tales of their battles, of their triumphs and defeats.  
  
Among those tales, the ones that stood out the most were the tales of creatures of beauty that would lure you to your demise. Men sought them for their beauty and women scorned them out of envy. In the end, despite their beauty or despite their reasons, these creatures of lore stayed away from the humans who labelled them as monsters.   
  
In their solitude, there is safety. No one will hunt them if they were not in contact with humans.  
  
One such tale, was the tale of the gorgon – a beauty far outshining that of Shiva’s, skin that was fairer than the fairest snow, and eyes  
of blue and purple that shown like precious gems, but with the hair of a hundred snakes, all  poised for the strike. And if that wasn’t enough of a deterrent, anyone who gazes directly into the gorgon’s face would immediately turn to stone.  
  
That hasn’t stopped lords and kings, who send their armies and heroes into the gorgon's lair to try and claim the beauty for their own. And over the years, the gorgon's lair, something that started as an empty cave, was now a jungle of petrified bodies.  
  
_“Should we just destroy them?”_  
  
_“I bet if we rolled them off the cliff they would break on impact.”_  
  
_“We could roll them out to the sea! They would sink, surely!”_  
  
_“We should sell them as sculptures, would be worth a good penny!”_  
  
“Enough!” Ravus hissed to shush the different suggestions that were being hissed around his head. “You lot are exceptionally talkative today,” he muttered as he raised his hand to squeeze one of the snake’s jaws shut just as it was about to respond.  
  
“You can’t shut all our lips Ravus!” one of the snakes at the back of his head said cheerfully.  
  
Ravus rolled his eyes. “Snakes have no lips,” he corrected as he looked up at the sea of bodies that filled the entrance to his cave.  
“Honestly though, we have to do something about this. Not getting any sun is making my skin dull.”  
  
One of the snakes moved closer to his cheek and rubbed its smooth scales across his skin. “Still feels smoother than those stone  
people.”  
  
Ravus raised an eyebrow. “You rub yourself on those things? All of them were out to kill us you know.”  
  
“They’re rough!” one of the ones at the back responded.  
  
“It’s perfect for when we need to shed our skin!” another one added.  
  
Ravus sighed but gave in and gave one of the snakes a gentle rub beneath its chin as he focused his attention back on the forest of bodies.  He hated looking at them. It reminded him of what he was – a monster that was being hunted down. But truly, what should he do with them?

He had started keeping them in hopes that someday they would still turn back to normal. He still had that hope that his curse could still be reversible someday.  
  
If he was truly heartless he would just throw them all away like the snakes were suggesting. But he wasn’t. Despite his anger for their desire to end his life, he couldn’t really bring himself to hate them. They were doing what was human nature after all, to fight and  
destroy a creature that they deemed dangerous. He hated that they wanted him hunted down. But he couldn't bring himself to hate the men who came after him.   
  
Regardless of how he felt, however, he really needed a way to clear this. This was one of the few entrances to his abode, and though the maze of bodies made it difficult for intruders to get in, it also worked to lure more into his cave. It screamed “Looking for a gorgon? Look no further! Here’s a sea of petrified bodies! Here! Get your gorgon!”  
  
Ravus’ frown deepened. The slithering and hissing sounds of the snakes around his head was a calming familiarity that soothed him somewhat. But he still couldn’t think of a solution nor could he be at peace knowing that all these petrified bodies were blocking his cave entrance. Not getting enough sunlight was getting to him. He wasn’t a huge fan of the darkness despite his choice for solitude.  
  
Suddenly, he heard a loud crash from the very mouth of the cave and all the snakes that composed his hair shushed and turned their eyes, as one, towards that location  
  
An intruder.  Ravus wasn’t surprised anymore at this point. He had stopped keeping count after he got past 100.  
  
But the first crash was followed by a second, and then a third, and by the third, he could vaguely hear a whispered “I’m terribly sorry!”  
from where the intruder was coming from.  
  
This earned a frown from Ravus. This was the least careful, the loudest and most polite intruder of all. If he was this polite, then  
perhaps it was easier to just end his misery by going to him instead of waiting for him to reach Ravus. In the end he would turn to stone anyway, so why prolong it?  
  
Ravus walked through the petrified bodies, carefully avoiding spots where the spaces were too narrow. He didn’t want to touch them if he could avoid it.  
  
_“Ravus?”_  
  
_“What are you doing?”_  
  
“Hush,” Ravus whispered, and for once the snakes listened. Perhaps it was because they were getting closer. They tend to get really quiet when another human was so close.   
  
As he got closer and closer to the source of the noise, Ravus found himself curious.  
  
In place of a warrior, or an army, was a boy. He was small, or at least he gave the impression of.  He wasn’t short or thin, but he hunched his shoulders over in a way that made him smaller than he was. He was also looking around, then quickly bowing his head.   
  
“I…I’m sorry if I broke your statue!” the boy said loudly. His voice had a good sound to it, or it would have if it wasn’t shaking in, Ravus guessed, fear. He was in the lair of a gorgon after all.  
  
“You didn’t break anything,” Ravus said, deciding to end the boy’s suffering and revealing his position so he would turn  to look  in his direction, and then turn to stone before he stumbled through more statues.  
  
The boy raised his face, turning fully towards Ravus, and whatever he was saying was drowned out for the gorgon as Ravus realized that this boy, the reason he was so clumsy, and ran into so many of the statues, was because he could not see.  
  
The boy was blind.  
  
Ravus held a breath, the boy’s lips opening and closing but he could not hear a word.  
  
This was the first time he could gaze upon another person’s face since the day he was cursed with this wretched form. And by the gods this boy was beautiful.  
  
Ravus raised a trembling hand and brushed it across the boy’s fringe, a soft ashen blonde and made darker by the darkness of his cave. When was the last time he touched hair as fine as this? He could no longer remember. The boy flinched slightly and Ravus pulled his hand back.  
  
“You… you’re not angry?” the boy asked.  
  
Ravus took a few deep breaths to try to and calm himself before speaking. “You didn’t break anything,” he repeated.  
  
“Oh thank the gods,” the boy said, relief on his features as a smile spread across his lips. “I wouldn’t be able to pay for such an  
expensive statue even if I sold myself to the slave trade. Even then, my tutors wouldn’t be so happy with that.”  
  
It took Ravus’ breath away, how this boy could smile, how he could be so happy, even though he was in here, in this cave, with a monster. He had never seen anyone so happy in his presence. Never.  
  
“Are you not afraid of me?”  
  
“What’s there to be afraid of?” the boy asked him cheerfully, extending his hand towards Ravus. “My name is Ignis, pleased to make  
your acquaintance.”  
  
When seconds ticked by and Ravus didn’t respond, the boy pulled his hand back and then extended it again. “Rude. You’re supposed to shake my hand when it’s offered!”  
  
Ravus’ eyes widened and he couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his lips. This boy was a handful wasn’t he? This was the first time he had gotten attitude from any who dared enter his cave. Maybe the boy didn’t know who he was?  
  
“My name is Ravus. Do you not know where you are boy?” he asked as he reached out to shake Ignis’ hand.  
  
“In the cave of the gorgon, they say there’s a monster in here. I was going to prove the stories wrong. And they are! Because you’re a nice guy, right? You can’t be nice if you’re a monster.”  
  
Ravus could not believe his ears. The boy, Ignis, knew who he was and yet he was still in here? Conversing and treating Ravus like a normal person?  
  
Ignis smile widened as Ravus failed to answer. “I knew it! You’re a good person!” he said and started to stand, but fell back on the  
ground with a wince.  
  
“Are you alright?” Ravus asked.  
  
Ignis nodded. “I am. Must have twisted my ankle when I crashed into the statue earlier. It should be fine in a few minutes. I’ll be  
fine. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”  
  
“Nonsense. I ... I wouldn`t mind the company. At least until your ankle heals.” Ravus said as he knelt down beside the boy and reached  
out to touch his ankle. Ignis winced but didn’t pull his leg out of the way. "Does it look bad?" Ignis asked.  
  
“It’s very swollen. Might take a few days to heal. Now keep still,” Ravus said as he bit off a strip of fabric from his sleeve. He then  
turned to one of the snakes and extended a finger. It spat some of its venom on to Ravus’ finger. One of the gifts, a silver lining to his curse, was that he was hardly every sick. And his snakes secreted a venom that was deadly to small animals but acted as a numbing and healing to anything bigger than a deer. He found out the hard way when one of his snakes tried to bite an adolescent sahagin in an attempt to put it out of its misery but instead healed it back and Ravus had to run for dear life before he could become its dinner.  
  
Since then he had experimented on the animals that strayed into his cave and finally drew his conclusion to deer.  
  
He pressed the venom on to the swollen area and then gently wrapped it. with the sliver  of fabric he had torn from his sleeve.  
  
“That salve is very quick acting isn’t it? It’s impressive,” Ignis said. "None of the healers I know have used anything like this. Amazing!" the boy said, voice full of wonder and amazement as Ravus wrapped his ankle.  

"It's nothing they can recreate," Ravus said as he wrapped the fabric around the area, making sure to keep the venom concentrated there so it would heal faster. And then he felt some of the snakes in his hair stiffen. He wondered if they were sensing danger. But, as he looked up, only then did he realize that Ignis was petting some of them.

  
“You’re really not afraid?” he asked, disbelieving. He had thought that Ignis was thinking that he might just be a regular man, since he  
could not see the snakes that formed Ravus’ hair. But here he was, touching them, even petting them.  
  
“I like animals. I’m not allowed to keep one because my tutor said they would distract me. But you get to keep yours, and you get to carry them around anywhere. They feel so smooth,” Ignis said, petting another snake. The snake seemed torn, stiffening as the human's fingers rubbed against it's scales. Ravus gave it a small nod and the snake quickly relaxed, enjoying this new attention. 

"Careful, soon you'll have them all lining up to have their chins rubbed," Ravus said as he finished with Ignis' ankle. 

Ignis chuckled and shook his head. "I'd love to give them that attention. It doesn't look like you get much visitors here. I'm sure they get lonely too."

"You're not wrong," Ravus said, smile on his lips as another snake came closer to Ignis, demanding attention. 

 

[Concept art of gorgon Ravus and Ignis ](http://benelline.tumblr.com/post/177305470378/so-i-know-its-gladnis-week-but-i-got-distracted)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis gets to experience a softer side to Ravus, and can hardly believe that this is the monster everybody fears so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this at work with Japanese computer, so there may be some careless typos. Sorry about that>.<

He could not remember when the last time he awoke to the fine aroma of food being cooked was. Given that the food smelled like it was close to burning, it hardly mattered to Ignis. He appreciate the gesture, no matter how burnt or tasteless the food was.

 

Sometime his best friend Gladio would attempt to do him that favor, but really, all he knew was to boil some water to pour into a cup of instant noodles. Hardly any effort in there really. Not to mention Ignis didn’t appreciate the instant food kind as much as his best friend did.

 

On the other hand, Ravus, the gorgon everyone feared so much, was actually sneaking out of his bed every morning to make Ignis breakfast. He was really bad at stealthing away, the hissing of his snakes gave him away every morning, especially with Ignis’ acute hearing.

 

Ignis smiled at the thought and at the memory of his first morning in the cave.

 

The first morning he woke up to the wonderful aroma of stew. And for a moment he wondered if Noct had snuck in to his quarters to prepare something for him. He had scrambled out of bed, momentarily forgetting where he was, and winced when he landed on his sprained ankle.

 

Ravus had come to his side quicker than he could have imagine. And as he heard the soft hissing that came with the man, he was reminded of where he was – sprained his ankle after unsuccessfully sneaking into the gorgon’s lair because he wanted to prove a point.

 

And he was right, as he always was.

 

The man everyone labelled a monster had been nothing but kind to him since he stumbled his way into the cave. He wouldn’t let Ignis out of bed, insisting that he would only get in the way. But Ignis somehow doubted his words, and knew that Ravus wanted him to stay in bed to heal faster. He checked on his ankle every chance he got. And with the clattering of pots and pans immediately followed by cursing in the early hours of the morning, Ignis had a hunch that cooking in the mornings was not Ravus’ normal routine.

 

“What has you smiling so widely so early in the morning?”

 

Ignis turned towards the direction the voice came from and shook his head. “Just thinking how little salt you used as seasoning again. I can smell it from here.”

 

He heard the low grumble and Ignis moved to a sitting position to give Ravus room to sit on the bed beside him. “I kid, Ravus.”

 

“…I know.” Ravus said with a low exhale of breath. One of the snakes slithered closer to Ignis and rubbed its smooth scaly head against Ignis’ cheek.

 

“Good morning to you guys too,” he said as he reached up and gave that snake a pet. The hissing grew louder, and by now Ignis recognized it as a pleased sound.

 

“Eat your breakfast,” Ravus said quickly. “It will get cold if you don’t.”

 

Ignis chuckled and nodded. “Thank you for the meal,” he said as he took the spoon, knowing where Ravus put it on the tray by now. He felt around for the edge of the bowl and dipped the spoon in. He could feel the density of the soup as it came into contact with the spoon, and managed to take a full spoonful up to his lips to taste. The density of the stew was so much better today. On the first day it was so dense Ignis thought he was cooked oatmeal. As expected, Ravus burnt the onions before he added them in, and it was tasteless too.

 

But, as bland as it was, Ignis knew that Ravus prepared it carefully and with his recovery in mind, and he would gladly eat all of it up despite the taste, to show his appreciation for the gesture.

 

“This is so much better than yesterday’s version.”

 

“It’s terrible, don’t take me for a fool.”

 

Ignis smiled as he took another spoonful of soup.

 

_“And yet everyday Ignis finishes your terrible soup.”_

 

Ignis promptly dropped the spoon he was holding on to. Thankfully it dropped safely into the bowl. “Who…who said that?”

 

Ravus sighed loudly and Ignis heard the quick hisses of a few snakes, and a quickly muttered, “I told you all to keep your jaws shut. This form is already strange as it is.”

 

Ignis turned towards Ravus, food forgotten momentarily. “Was it… do your snakes talk Ravus?”

 

“They don’t” Ravus said at the same time a chorus of _“Yes we do!”_ chirped from the same direction.

 

“I would cut you all off if the Tidemother would let me!” Ravus growled.

 

“Ravus, don’t shout at them,” Ignis said gently as he reached out and placed his hand on Ravus’ arm, trying to calm him down. “They didn’t mean any harm.”

 

_“Ravus thought that he was enough of a monster.”_

_“And if we added talking snakes to the mix, you would be scared away for sure.”_

 

Ignis shook his head and turned to the direction where he knew Ravus was at. It would be weird to speak to Ravus while looking at one of his snakes. “Why would I be scared of talking snakes? And how many times do I need to remind you that you are not a monster?” Ignis squeezed Ravus’ arm. “A monster would have killed me or left me to my injuries. A monster would not sneak out of bed every morning to cook me breakfast.” He felt Ravus stiffen as he revealed that he knew, and Ignis had to chuckle. “You’re also the worst at sneaking out. You make so much unnecessary noise. You’re also obviously not a morning person, you curse a lot when you cook.”

 

A few of the snakes giggled at that.

_“He’s clumsy.”_

_“ But he won’t admit it.”_

_“ Our Ravus is so stubborn.”_

_“Considering he’s attached to snakes, you’d think he would learn a thing or two about sneaking.”_

_“But no, not our Ravus.”_

 

If looks could kill, half the snakes on Ravus’ head would be dead by now.

 

“He is, isn’t he?” Ignis said with a light chuckle, and then moved his hand up and down Ravus’ arm in a soothing gesture, to know that he wasn’t teasing with his words. “And yet he does it every day. He tries to cook for me, even though he doesn’t need to. I’m not a guest, I’m an intruder. And yet he treats me like I’m a guest. I know of other humans who would execute an intruder without a second thought.”

 

“You’re kinder than a lot of humans Ravus, so whatever your outward appearance is, and no matter what other people say about you, I really don’t think you’re a monster.”

_“See Ravus?”_

_“He’s not scared!”_

 

“Shut up,” Ravus muttered but Ignis could feel that he had calmed down somewhat. With this Ignis released Ravus’ arm and then moved his hand back to where he remembered the tray was. He felt around for the spoon. But then frowned when he could not find it on the tray or in the bowl.

 

“Let me.”

 

Ignis looked at Ravus with what he hoped was a questioning look and Ravus huffed. “Open your lips, I can’t feed you if you keep your mouth closed.”

 

“I have a sprained ankle, not a sprained wrist. And I think I’ve proven that I can feed myself properly without anyone’s aid?” Ignis said.

 

“Must you be so stubborn?” Ravus huffed. “I want to…it’s…” He took a deep breath and then continued. “No one has said words like that to me before. So I panicked and did what I thought was a good gesture.”

 

Ignis bit his lower lip. His sharp tongue, though useful in debates, was bound to get him in trouble someday. After all the kindness that Ravus showed him, here he was being a smart ass.

 

“No one?” he asked carefully.

 

Ravus shook his head. Then remembering that Ignis could not see, he said instead. “Not in this form, no,” he confirmed. His voice was strangely steady and Ignis inhaled deeply. He remembered bumping into those statues and remembered a lot more he had passed with his sense of touch.

 

So many people venturing into the cave, all turned to stone because of the curse. And yet here he was unscathed, and not turned to stone. Tales of the gorgon did not start in his generation. People have been talking about the gaze that could turn men to stone long before Ignis was born, he was sure of it. So how many years has Ravus been here? All alone and without contact from the outside world?

 

“I… I was careless with my words, forgive me.” Ignis reached and and felt around for Ravus’ hand, and gently guided it back to his lips. “I’d love to be pampered every once in a while,” he added, trying to lighten the mood.

 

Ravus’ lips formed a small smile and the snakes looked at each other. It was so long since they saw him smile, and it was all because of this boy. One of the snakes opened its jaws to say something but another one quickly wrapped its body around the opened jaw to snap it shut.

 

This was a moment for Ravus and Ignis, and the snakes will keep it that way.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis' injury heals. That means it's time to go back to where he came from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta ;A; Sorry for any errors

It was true what people said about time passing by quickly when you were having fun. Ignis remembered time going fast when he was with Gladio or Noct, or when he was studying his favorite subject. Or when he was immersed in his favorite book and it felt like there were not enough hours in a day. Reversely, when he was sick and he had to stay in his room during the day, those were the longest 24 hours he had to bear with.

 

 So imagine Ignis’ surprise when one day he stepped off of the bed in the morning and felt no pain on his ankle.  He reached down and felt the spot that Ravus had wrapped for support, and felt no more swelling around the area. A sprain that bad would have taken days or even a week to heal. Even with Ravus’ salve, it would have taken days.

 

Ignis started counting back in his head how many times he had been fed stew in the morning and he could count seven. He had been here for 7 days.

 

Seven long days and it felt like not a day has passed.

 

Seven days also meant he had to go back home soon. If he didn’t, people would start looking for him. He wasn’t any one important, but Noctis and Gladio were. If he didn’t come back from his little adventure then Ignis had no doubt that they would make sure a search party was sent out to find him.

 

He should be excited. His injury was healed, he could go home!

 

He should be. But he wasn’t. And Ignis realized with a jolt in his heart that he wanted to stay with Ravus for a little longer. Each day he spent with Ravus made him want to know the gorgon more, want to converse with him some more, want to tease him, joke with him, keep him company. But he had to leave. If he didn’t, he would lead everyone here and it would put Ravus in danger.

 

“Do you always wear your heart on your sleeve Ignis?” came Ravus voice as he heard the, now familiar, sounds of Ravus’ footsteps on the cave floor.

 

“I was told that I have a propensity to think too much.”

“You do,” Ravus confirmed. “I’ve only been in your company for a couple of days and I can already say as much.” Ignis felt a light whoosh of air, movement from Ravus’ end. RAvus had knelt down on the ground to check on Ignis’ ankle, as he did every morning.And then he felt the gentle touch of Ravus’ hand, feather light, on his ankle. “Your ankle, it’s much better,” he said matter-of-factly. But Ignis could also hear the underlying relief in his voice. Ravus placed the tray on the bed, where he always put it. But he didn’t sit beside Ignis as he always did.

 

Ignis nodded and held the spoon with a tight grip. “It is,” he confirmed. “I should…I should be able to head back home soon.” He had hoped his voice wouldn’t reveal his disappointment for having to leave so soon. But he knew he failed spectacularly when Ravus let out a loud huff.

 

“You’re a strange one, Ignis,” Ravus spoke as he began unwrapping the makeshift bandage from Ignis’ ankle. “Most want me dead, and those that don’t stay away in fear. And then here we have you. Your ankle has healed and you are free to leave this wretched cave. Yet I hear disappointment in your tone. Are you not happy to be going back home?”

 

Ignis could feel Ravus’ eyes on him, despite not being able to see. And that made Ignis want to tell him the truth instead of hiding behind his logic and his puns.

 

“I am,” he said as he placed the spoon back on the tray. “But I also don’t want to leave.”

 

“Your ankle is healed, you have no more reason to stay in this damp and uncomfortable cave. Even the bed you sleep in now must be uncomfortable compared to what you have at home. There’s no reason for you to want to stay here.”

 

“But there is.”

 

“If you wanted one of the snakes, I’m afraid I can’t simply cut them off and give you one. If I could I would have done so already.”

_“Hey!”_

_“Shhhh! Let them talk!”_

 

Ignis bit his lower lip and shook his head. “I don’t want to leave you,” he said quickly. Then he lowered his gaze, turning his face towards where he knew Ravus could not see his facial expressions.

 

The seconds that ticked by in silence seemed to stretch on forever. Until finally Ravus let out another huff and there was a ruffling of cloth as the gorgon stood and placed his hand on Ignis’ head. “Foolish boy. You’re more than welcome to come back.”

 

Ignis’ eyes widened and he turned his head, lifting it to face Ravus fully. “I can?”

 

“You’ve been here a week, you know your way around.” For Ravus, that was as close to saying “Make yourself at home.”

 

“Thank you Ravus!”

 

“Now eat your stew. I don’t want all my efforts in the morning to go to waste.”

 

**

 

The trip back to Insomnia was not as hard for Ignis as he thought it would be. It was a bit of a struggle to find the right path, but once he did, it was just a matter of walking in the right direction.

 

It was a half-day’s walk for an able bodied man. And Ignis wanted to reach Insomnia before nightfall. He couldn’t really see the sun, but he could feel the warmth of it on his skin, and he could estimate where the sun was in the sky and relate that to what time it would be.

 

As long as he didn’t get injured along the way, he would make it back without issue. Well if he got injured… Ignis slipped his hand into his pants pocket and felt the cool surface of a small glass bottle, and he couldn’t help but smile.

 

It was a vial that contained the snakes’ venom, the same one that healed his ankle, as Ravus explained. Ravus had given it to him as he left the cave with a seemingly nonchalant air. But the snakes outed him by saying how much of a slave driver Ravus was. Apparently they could only produce so much venom unless they were hunting or under stress and they required to defend themselves. So having them produce so much in order to fill the vial had been tough, according to the snakes. Ravus immediately shushed them right after, but Ignis got the picture.

 

Ravus truly was a good man, and he was sad to leave his side. But he knew now that he was welcome. He would definitely come back when he could.

 

“Is that…Hey Ignis!”

 

The unexpected shout from the direction of Insomnia gave Ignis a start. He should still be a ways off from the main gate, and for Gladio to be so far out here, it meant that they had already been out searching for him.

 

He heard a quick stomping of feet across the dirt road, and sighed in relief when he could only count one set of feet. It wasn’t a search party, it was only Gladio.

 

His best friend got closer and closer and then Ignis quickly felt large hands patting him down, searching for injury. “I’m fine Gladio,” he said with a soft chuckle.

 

“Man you had us worried Iggy!”

 

“Forgive me. That wasn’t my intention.”

 

“What happened?” Gladio asked as he finally finished his pat down and pulled back. “Everyone was so worried. The council didn’t want to continue session unless you were found.”

 

“I am but a scholar boy, there was no need for them to stall.”

 

“I think they’d rather stall and wait for you than risk having Noctis sit in for the council meetings, as he should be. But we all know how little he cares for things like these.”

 

Ignis sighed and shook his head. “He’ll learn eventually.”

 

“Not soon enough. You’re already doing too much for someone who wasn’t born into this,”Gladio muttered as he took Ignis’ arm to guide him back to the city. “You still haven’t answered my question about what happened.”

 

Ignis sighed. “Must you let me confess to my shortcomings?” he teased to hide how he felt about Gladio taking his arm. Gladio was the sweetest man he has ever known, but he was, like all the people close to Ignis, treated the visually impaired teenager like he was an invalid. Sure, they trust him with council meetings and important stuff. But they would treat him with utmost care, too much of it, and Ignis felt like a caged bird.

 

He had talked to Clarus about it already, being too shy to tell it to the king himself. But the older Amicitia only brushed it off as people being concerned about Ignis.

 

Now he missed Ravus’ company even more. Ravus treated his ankle and cooked for him, but not once did he feel like he was being coddled. Ravus would let him explore the cave on his own, and not look over his shoulder every time he went off exploring.

 

He sighed and motioned with his free arm. Might as well play into their concerns. It would allow him to avoid their questions later. “I took a wrong turn and got lost. But I assure you I’m fine.”

 

Gladio cursed under his breath. “I knew it, shouldn’t have let you out of my sight.”

 

“I’m fine Gladio.”

 

“You were lost for 7 days Iggy!”

 

“And even then, I’m fine. Stop fretting too much my friend,” Ignis said, trying to keep his tone soft and level.

 

“Fine fine, if you say so. But we’re getting you checked out when you get back.”

 

Ignis sighed and nodded. “If that will put your mind at ease, then I will,” he responded, his mind was already formulating ways of how and when he could go back to Ravus’ side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (No hate on Gladio! I’m a Gladnis shipper too and I love that Gladio takes super good care of Iggy. He does here too! But just a bit too much. Iggy appreciates it but he just wants the freedom he could experience with Ravus. So no hate on Gladio. I love that sweet bear of a man <3)


	4. Chapter 4

 

“Ignis, you’re not eating.”

 

“Told you he’s been weird since he came back,”

 

“Nonsense Noct, Gladio, I am perfectly fine,” Ignis assured his friends as he dipped his spoon into the stew he had made for them to share. But truth be told, he couldn’t find his appetite. It was much too flavorful, much too rich, and a touch too delicious compared to what Ravus had made for him but it was nowhere near as good.

 

He missed Ravus’ cooking. He missed Ravus’ company.

 

It has been a few days since he came back and both his friends – Noctis and Gladio, would not let him out of their sights. Ignis wanted nothing more than to run back to Ravus’ cave, maybe bring a book or two from Ignis’ collection that they could read together. Ignis didn’t have a lot of books, because not all the books were translated for people who could not see, but he treasured the few that he had and he wanted to share them with Ravus. He couldn’t leave when Noctis and Gladio were both watching him like hawks. Ravus had been well hidden for years, maybe centuries. He wouldn’t risk Ravus getting found out just because he was eager to go back.

 

“So Noct,” Ignis said after he swallowed another spoonful. “How are your lessons with your new tutor?”

 

He heard Noctis make a choking sound followed by the sound of a water being drank down quickly.

 

“Ardyn’s not taking it easy on Noct,” Gladio said with a loud laugh. “I’ve never seen Noct with a tutor who can actually make him study!”

 

“The man’s scary! He smiles and acts relaxed, but you just _know_ he’s strict. And he seems to know everything! It’s scary Igs, if only you could see it! Uh…”

 

And just like that the energy in the conversation was quickly drained as they were reminded again of Ignis’ disability. Ignis hated being treated like a fragile thing because of his disability. He was born with it, it’s not like he knew what he was missing. So there was no need to treat him like he was missing this huge part of his life. He was very content and he could navigate his way through life with the senses he was born with.

 

“What topics are you taking up now?” Ignis asked, trying to keep conversation going and not allowing the silence to linger enough that it became awkward.

 

“Creatures of Eos!” Noctis said quickly, eager to keep the conversation going and seemingly happy that Ignis had taken it upon himself to keep the conversation going.

 

“Oh?” Ignis asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. He sipped another spoonful of his stew as he listened.

 

“Ardyn seems to know a lot about them. Couerls, sahagins, chocobos. Oh, and Nagas especially!”

 

“Noct’s new tutor seems to be a fan of snakes,” Gladio added. “He’s even discussing some creatures that are stuff of legend, creatures that aren’t in the books.”

 

“Yeah!” Noctis added, in a rare burst of enthusiasm. “There’s this one…I think it’s…. oh that’s right! Gorgons!”

 

Ignis choked on his stew, and Gladio was quickly at his side, patting his back. “You ok there Iggy?”

 

No he wasn’t. Gorgons are creatures of myth and legend, and he shouldn’t be alarmed that his friends knew. But to have the royal tutor teach that to the prince as part of his studies? It just made Ignis more afraid that Ravus would be found, that he was real.

 

He didn’t want Noctis getting too curious.

 

“I’m perfectly fine,” Ignis said after he had drank a good amount of water. “I was just surprised that mythical creatures were part of you curriculum.”

 

“Oh it’s not. Ardyn just likes mythical creatures a lot, and he has so much information about these creatures! Like where they might be found, what food they’re likely to consume, and their abilities. Oh, wait till you hear him talk about them!”

 

On one hand Ignis should be happy that the usually bored and unenthused Noctis was showing, not only interest, but also enthusiasm. But on the other, he was worried that Noctis’ curiosity will eventually lead him to Ravus, and that would be really bad for the both of them.

 

“I’m not a scholar like Iggy, but even I’m intrigued,” Gladio added, and truly added to Ignis’ anxiety.

 

Ignis cleared his throat. “On the contrary Gladio, you’ll find that scholars are not very keen on keeping track of the mythical. We’re more interested in the sciences, in quantifiable evidence and the like.”

 

“Boring,” Noct mumbled.

 

“You know what’s not boring Noct? That I got approval from you father and Gladio’s to bring you and Prompto to that new gaming arcade you two wanted to go to.”

 

Ignis heard a deep intake of breath and then a loud “What…omg Ignis! Thank you!” from the prince.

 

And just like that the conversation was steered away from talks about mythical creature for this meal at least, and Ignis could breathe a sigh of relief. At least for now.

 

**

 

Every day that passed for Ignis while he was in his friends’ company felt longer than necessary. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy their company. He did, immensely. But neither Noctis nor Gladio was Ravus.

 

It wasn’t that he valued their friendship less. He just really _missed_ Ravus.

 

He wasn’t in the company of the other for so long. But he missed their banter and he missed his smart wit.

 

Gladio and Noctis were both well read, especially Noctis. But there was a reason that Ignis was trained by the scholars specifically. He was to be the future right hand of Noctis, his trusted adviser. As such, Noctis did not need to learn everything because Ignis will be his support when the day comes.

 

And it was surprising to him that Ravus could keep up with some of his jokes, jokes and jabs that both flew over Gladio’s and Noctis’ heads. How a solitary mythical creature was more well-read than a prince and his future guard was a mystery.

 

The days that went by crawled along the hands of time but pretty soon an opportunity presented itself to Ignis. The emperor and his guard wanted to bring their two sons with them on a journey to find the largest fish they could capture with their lines. Noctis had been ecstatic. Gladio less so. But it allowed Ignis to have a few days to himself and without the watchful eyes of his two friends.

 

He could make the trip to Ravus without the danger of either of them finding out.

 

He packed his favorite pastry, something Noctis had gifted him from Tenebrae, and something Ignis hoped to recreate someday. He packed his favorite books, and books that were not meant to be read by him. Perhaps Ravus would like to read them with him.

 

The thought of sharing his favorites with the rather pissy Ravus was a thought that made him smile. He hoped that Ravus would like them as much as he did.

 

He left the city at the break of dawn the day after Noctis and Gladio left with their fathers. The trip back to Ravus' cave would have been easier if Ignis could spend an hour concentrating on his route instead of being so excited. But even with his missed turns and steps he had to retract to get back to the right path, Ignis managed to find his way back into the cave before nightfall 

 

He couldn't see the sun or the absence of it, but he had learned to associate the warmth on his skin with the day and the absence of that warmth with night time. And he was glad that his skin felt warm when he made his way into the cave. 

 

He had entered through one of the back entrances of the cave, one of the few that Ravus had told him about, so that he wouldn't have to go through the maze of petrified bodies up front. 

 

Ignis stepped in carefully, careful not to slip and hurt himself. He didn't want to burden Ravus by injuring himself yet again. Besides, this time, he had to make sure he made his way home every once in a while before his friends returned so as  not to arouse suspicion. He didn't want people looking for him the same way his friends had done before. 

 

Ignis felt his way through the cave, feeling the walls and making sure he was going the right way. He wanted to surprise Ravus, so he tried his best to keep quiet. But truly, it was a wasted effort. Not only was Ravus used to the quiet in his cave, he was also attached to a bunch of snakes that will obviously alert him of anyone entering the cave if it escaped Ravus' attention. 

 

Ignis felt a gentle brush of scales on his shoulder as he turned a corner, and he couldn't help but smile. 

 

"You really thought you could sneak in here Ignis?"

 

Ah, how he missed that voice.

 

"The sarcasm in your voice is dripping Ravus, best keep that from spilling all over the ground."

 

A few snickers from the snakes and then Ravus was clearing his throat. "It's gotten pretty late. Do you want to rest?"

 

"I just got here." Ignis said and shook his head. He reached out and placed his palm on Ravus' person, landing on his upper arm. "Besides, I have some treats here that I wanted to share with you, they're my favourite."

 

Ignis opened the small package he had with him, and he heard Ravus inhale deeply. Was it from shock, surprise? Maybe Ravus hadn't expected Ignis to bring anything? Maybe he hated it? "It's....it's my favourite. And it's from Tenebrae. I wanted to share it with you. But if you didn't like it, then ..."

 

"Hush Ignis," Ravus said, and Ignis felt Ravus' hand over his own. "I'd love to share these with you."

 

Ignis smiled, happy with the clarification. Maybe he'll ask about it again next time. 


End file.
